What is a drive sprocket?

• A. The free turning wheel which helps maintain track tension.
• B. The small free turning wheels used to keep tension on the upper portion of tracks.
• C. The toothed, powered wheel transfers power of the engine to the tank's tracks.
• D. The front armored portion of a tank.

Answer: (C)

Understanding how a tracked vehicle is propelled: the drive sprocket is the powered, toothed wheel that engages the track links and transmits power from the engine through the transmission to the tracks. As it rotates, the teeth grab the inside of the track and pull it, converting engine power into the forward motion of the vehicle. This contrasts with the other wheels, which mainly guide and tension the track without providing drive—the idler or tension wheels maintain track tension, while the return rollers guide the upper run of the track. The front armored portion is unrelated to propulsion. So the drive sprocket is best described as the toothed, powered wheel that transfers engine power to the tracks.